The UK Rail online travel agency TicketClever's parent company Global Travel Ventures sells its 20% stake to rail and bus operating giant Stagecoach to combine fares from various operators.
Japanese tour operator JTB plans to introduce Alibaba's mobile payment Alipay to around 2,000 partner businesses in Japan within three years.
The US app FinalPrice raises USD 4 million in funding. It charges members $99 a year and claims that someone spending $10,000 a year on the site will save $2,500.
CVC Capital Partners is to acquire Sweden OTA Etraveli for Euro 508 million which has 12 brands and fulfils over €2 billion in transactions annually across almost 50 countries.
Qunar co-founder and early-stage startup investor Fritz Demopoulos said that startups in China need 10-year “commitment” to succeed.
Swidish IT provider Hoist Group acquires Ireland Paragon Systems targeting the hospitality sector in the UK and Ireland with technology including PMS (HotSoft) and point-of-sale tools.
Airbnb is to buy background-check startup Trooly to control scams and to protect its guests and hosts from bad actors. Trooly Trooly’s technology could help Airbnb track various customer violations.
From technology platforms and customer online behaviors to how consumers shop in digital marketplaces, China has evolved on its own.